Garudan (2024 film)

Garudan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	R. S. Durai Senthilkumar
Written by	R. S. Durai Senthilkumar
Produced by	Vetrimaaran (unc.) K. Kumar
Starring	Soori M. Sasikumar Unni Mukundan
Cinematography	Arthur A. Wilson
Edited by	Pradeep E. Ragav
Music by	Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production companies	Grass Root Film Company Lark Studios
Release date	31 May 2024 (2024-05-31)
Running time	133 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Tamil
Box office	est. ₹44 crore[2]

Garudan (transl. Brahminy kite)^[3] is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action drama film directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar and jointly produced by Vetrimaaran and K. Kumar under Grass Root Film Company and Lark Studios. The film stars Soori, M. Sasikumar and Unni Mukundan, alongside Roshini Haripriyan, Sshivada, Revathi Sharma, Samuthirakani, Vadivukkarasi, R. V. Udayakumar and Mime Gopi. It follows Sokkan, a trusted confidante of two childhood friends Aadhi and Karuna, whose loyalty is changed by a dynamic between betrayal and survival.

The film was officially announced untitled in September 2023, and is Soori's second film as the lead actor, after Viduthalai Part 1. Principal photography commenced the same month and wrapped in January 2024. The title Garudan was announced later that month. The film's music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Arthur A. Wilson and Pradeep E. Ragav.

Garudan was released worldwide on 31 May 2024 to positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast performances (especially Soori, Sasikumar and Unni Mukundan), musical score, script and direction.

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Karuna and Aadhi have been close friends since their childhood in Kombai, Theni. They share very close ties and never give up on each other under any circumstances. During their childhood, Karuna was saved from danger Sokkan, an orphan, and Karuna took in Sokkan as a form of gratitude. Sokkan became a faithful and fierce loyalist to Karuna. The three of them grew up in the care of Karuna's grandmother Sellayee, who is the head of the trustee committee of Kombai Amman temple. Being a zamin heir, Karuna is living in poverty with a meager income from his brick kiln, while Aadhi owns a few lorries. Karuna and Aadhi remain powerful in Kombai, while presiding and managing as trustees of the temple.

Meanwhile, Thangapandi, the Registration Department Minister, plans to usurp unclaimed land worth ₹330 crore near Chennai and learns that the land belongs to the Kombai Amman temple while the original deed is in a jewelry box in the temple. After the death of Sellayee, Nagaraj, a relative of Thangapandi, plans to become the temple committee head at the instruction of Thangapandi. However, Sokkan becomes the temple committee head with the support of Aadhi and Karuna. The key to the temple treasury comes to Aadhi. Nagaraj, to somehow redeem the bond, provokes Karuna's wife Angayarkanni, and his brother-in-law Vairavel by kindling their greed for money. To aid Nagaraj in the minister's plan, Inspector Muthuvel is also forced to join upon Thangapandi's coercion. 

Vairavel, who is already angry with Aadhi for forcing him to marry Parveen, whom he had cheated, stirs up trouble among the friends. After discovering fake jewels in the jewelry box of the temple and Karuna's involvement in it, Aadhi hands him over to the police, thinking to bail him out using his property, but is stopped by Nagaraj and Vairavel, who bring the actual jewelry. The conflict deepens as Karuna feels betrayed. During the temple festival, they plan to attack the jewelry box-carrying van during transport from the bank to the temple, but are thwarted by Aadhi. At the festival, a fight unfolds between Aadhi and Nagaraj's henchmen. Karuna also pretends to fight the thieves. Sokkan, being possessed by the divine, chops off Vairavel's hand and saves Aadhi.

Realizing that the deed cannot be stolen as long as Aadhi is alive, Karuna takes Sokkan to Kodaikanal, leaves him there and returns along with Nagaraj and his henchmen to kill Aadhi. Aadhi's wife Katyayini advises to hand over the bond so that a part of the land's ₹20 crore can be used for Kombai's development works. Aadhi accepts, but Karuna and Vairavel brutally kill Aadhi. Sokkan follows Karuna from Kodaikanal only to get called to Aadhi's house for lunch. Sokkan finds Aadhi's dead, but does not betray Karuna due to his loyalty towards him. Karuna informs Sokkan that he killed Aadhi only in self-defense. Karuna escapes the punishment as Katyaini tries, but unable to find any witness. Aadhi's son Samaran, to avenge his father's death, tries to kill Karuna, but is stopped by Sokkan, who rather protects him from Karuna, but the accompanying Vinnarasi gets caught with Karuna.

To protect Samaran, Sokkan takes him to another town. Nagaraj spots the duo and tries to kill Samaran, but kills Nagaraj and surrenders to the police station. When Karuna comes and inquires, Sokkan confesses that he killed Nagaraj and Vairavel. At the police station lockup, Karuna's former business partner informs that Karuna was behind Sellayee's death as she resisted Karuna from substituting the temple jewels with the fake ones. The business partner had recorded about Karuna's plan of adding the poison to Sellayee's toddy and later showed the videos to Aadhi, who went to question Karuna, resulting in his death. On his way to be produced before the magistrate, Sokkan escapes and goes to Karuna's brick kiln to seek justice. Realizing that Sokkan knows the truth, Karuna brutally attacks Sokkan.

Meanwhile, Katyayini and Samaran arrive in search of Vinnarasi, but are brutally thrashed by Karuna. Sokkan discovers Vinnarasi in the kiln's chamber, prepared to be cremated alive, and is compelled to fight back. Sokkan saves Vinnarasi, Katyayini and Samaran, by ultimately killing Karuna. Muthuvel provides this information to his superior officer as a detailed report along with his resignation. The police officer secretly tells Thangapandi that if Sokkan is convicted, Thangapandi and his associates will be punished for the murders and the temple land theft. Without other choice, Sokkan is released and reunites with Vinnarasi. In the end credits, Thangapandi gets fatally injured in a road accident.

After the success of Viduthalai Part 1 in 2023, it was announced that Soori would begin his next project as a lead actor, after completing filming pending portions for Viduthalai Part 2. The project would be directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar, reportedly written by Vetrimaaran and produced by K. Kumar's Lark Studios, who had been associating with Soori for a long time.^[4] The company made a public announcement on 11 September, confirming the project,^[5] which was tentatively titled Karudan.^[6] A muhurat puja was held the same day at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu with the film's cast and crew.^[5] The film's official title, Garudan, was revealed on 19 January 2024.^[7]

M. Sasikumar,^[8] Unni Mukundan,^[9] Revathi Sharma,^[10] Sshivada,^[11] and Roshini Haripriyan would play prominent roles.^[12] Roshini would make her film debut with this film.^[13] All of their inclusions were confirmed during their presence at the muhurat puja.^[14] Music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, editor Pradeep E. Ragav and cinematographer Arthur A. Wilson were chosen for the technical crew.^[5]

Principal photography began in September 2023,^[14] and wrapped in early January 2024.^[6] Although the film's story was marketed as Vetrimaaran's story, Senthilkumar stated during the promotions that the story actually came from Soori himself.^[15]

The music and background score is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, in his maiden collaboration with Soori (in a lead role) and Senthilkumar.^[5] The first single, "Panjavarna Kiliye", released on 10 February 2024.^[16] The complete soundtrack was released on 21 May 2024.^{[citation needed]}

Garudan was released worldwide on 31 May 2024 in theatres.^[17]

Amazon Prime acquired the digital rights to Garudan in Tamil and it began streaming on the platform on 3 July 2024.

Garudan received positive reviews from critics, who praised the lead cast's performance (especially Soori, Sasikumar, Mukundan), Yuvan's background score and Senthilkumar's screenplay and direction.^[18]

Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India rated 3.5/5 stars and noted that "Garuden will appeal to those who like an emotional rural action flick."^[19] Writing for OTTPlay, Anusha Sundar rated the film 3/5 with praise for Soori's performance noting "Garudan is a solid film that perfectly suits Soori as a follow-up, after playing the lead in Viduthalai."^[20] In his review for The Hindu, Gopinath Rajendran praised the film writing,"With a neatly woven script that has enough brawn to overcome its minor shortcomings, director RS Durai Senthilkumar makes a splendid comeback with this raw and intense rural drama."^[21] In his review for The Indian Express, Kirubakhar Purushottaman praised the writing of Vetrimaaran, Senthilkumar's direction and Soori's performance.^[22] Writing for Cinema Express, Sudhir Srinivasan remarked, "Soori, like he did in Viduthalai Part 1, fills up the character with so much innocence, and this means that when he does fight back, when he even utters a word of protest, it feels heroic, for this isn’t a man enjoying his heroism."^[23]

• Garudan at IMDb